Comedian Modi, a Take This Waltz remount, and more as Chutzpah! Festival marks milestone 25th year
Other offerings span extravagant 8 Gays of Channukah – The Musical and stylistically diverse Shtetl Cabaret
Modi.
Take This Waltz. Photo by Chris Randle
THE CHUTZPAH! FESTIVAL is celebrating its 25th edition this year, with everything from a drag-infused Broadway show to a duet honouring Leonard Cohen in store.
The event will take place from November 12 to 23 with the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre serving as the main festival hub. More venues include the Vogue Theatre, Beaumont Studios, and The Post at 750. Though the majority of the artists featured are Canadian, others will travel to the fest from Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Latvia, Israel, and the U.S.
Acclaimed comedian Modi will bring his Pause for Laughter Tour to the Vogue on November 12, presented in partnership with MRG Live. On a similar note, Erik Angel will host Comedy for Peace at the Rothstein on November 22; the project featuring Ashley Austin Morris, Natan Badalov, and Zara Khan aims to unite communities through laughter by bringing together comedians of different backgrounds.
8 Gays of Channukah. Photo by Elliott Raben
In the realm of music, the West Coast premiere of the extravagant 8 Gays of Channukah – The Musical will land at the Rothstein on November 13. Show devisors Gila Münster, Sarah Freia, and Yan Simon will bring eight Broadway-style numbers to life onstage with glittering costumes, original songs, drag artistry, and inclusive comedy. Accompanying the performance will be the 8 Gays of Channukah Shuk, a marketplace featuring works by local artisans.
Swiss-born, New York City–raised singer Lea Kalisch’s Shtetl Cabaret will take place at Beaumont Studios on November 19, featuring musicians Tobias Moss, Mike Braverman, and Jason Overy—the styles in store range from rap to rhumba to Jewish folk.
Then on November 23, the Golden Thread Septet will bring a new program called Yiddish Songs of Social Change to the Rothstein. The collaboration spans the U.S., Germany, and Latvia, with Lorin Sklamberg and Sasha Lurje performing arrangements by Craig Judelman in Yiddish and English. The trio will host a free Yiddish music and dance workshop before the performance.
Common Place. Photo by Wendell Levi Teodoro
Ne.Sans Opera & Dance’s Take This Waltz, a duet celebrating the life and music of Leonard Cohen, will be back at the Rothstein on November 15 and 16 in partnership with Vancouver Opera. The work created by Idan Cohen and world-renowned bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch premiered in 2022 as a Chutzpah! Plus event; it stars Okulitch and dancer Ted Littlemore alongside live string and accordion musicians.
Powerhouse Australian dancers Omer Backley-Astrachan and Jana Castillo will bring their intimate duet Common Place to the Rothstein on November 20 for its North American premiere. Deborah Williams will host another edition of her storytelling event The Flame at that same venue on November 17, featuring Karen Segal and Dhana Musil; two in-depth workshops related to the concept will also take place at The Post at 750 on November 15 and 16.
And at the Rothstein again on November 18, Chutzpah! presents I’m Not a Comedian…I’m Lenny Bruce, a one-man show about the titular artist. It’s created and performed by Ronnie Marmo and directed by Joe Mantegna.
Artist talkbacks will take place after several of the Rothstein shows in the Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery, which is located right across from the theatre inside the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver.
Single tickets to all shows, along with festival packs, are now up for grabs. 
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